14 May 2004	Friday	23 Rabi-ul-Awwal 1425

KINGSTOWN, May 13: Bangladesh won the opening match of their Caribbean tour when they prevailed over a West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) XI in a low-scoring match.

Chasing a target of 136 from 50 overs, Bangladesh achieved victory in the 41st over of Wednesday's match with captain Habibul Bashar hitting the top score of 47.

Mushfiqur Rahman supported with 25 not out and Khaled Mashud made 17 in a seventh-wicket stand of 50 that took Bangladesh within reach of the target. Left-arm medium-fast bowler Pedro Collins and Dwight Washington took two wickets apiece for the WICB XI.

Earlier, the West Indian composite side were dismissed for 135 in 45.3 overs with left-hander Ryan Hinds' 48 the highest individual score. Outside of his innings, there was little substance or stability from the rest of the WICB XI batting.

Left-arm spin bowler Manjural Islam Rana was the pick of the Bangladesh bowlers with the amazing figures of four wickets for nine runs from 9.3 overs and Khaled Mahmud took three for 33 from 10 overs.

Young West Indies captain Dinesh Ramdin led the WICB XI that included senior internationals - Hinds, his unrelated namesake Wavell Hinds, Sylvester Joseph, Carlton Baugh, Pedro Collins, and Jermaine Lawson.

Bangladesh omitted Hannan Sarkar, Faisal Hossain, Tareq Aziz and Abdur Razzak from their team for the tour opener. The visitors face West Indies in the first two One-day Internationals of their three-match series on Saturday and Sunday here.

Scoreboard

WICB XI:

W.W. Hinds c Manjural b K. Mahmud 17

K.J. Wilkinson c Manjural b Mushfiqur 1

S.C. Joseph c Habibul b K. Mahmud 22

L.M.P. Simmons c K. Mashud b K. Mahmud 0

R.O. Hinds c Mushfiqur b Manjural 48

A.C.L. Richards c Ashraful b Rafique 4

C.S. Baugh c Rafique b Manjural 16

D. Ramdin lbw b Manjural 1

D.M. Washington c Ashraful b Manjural 10

P.R. Collins b Rafique 0

J.J.C. Lawson not out 2

EXTRAS (LB-6, W-6, NB-2) 14

TOTAL (all out, 45.3 overs) 135

FALL OF WKTS: 1-7, 2-39, 3-40-, 4-47, 5-54, 6-83, 7-88, 8-116, 9-122.

BOWLING: Tapsh Baisya 8-1-29-0; Mushfiqur Rahman 8-0-31-1; Khaled Mahmud 10-2-33-3; Mohammad Rafique 10-3-27-2; Manjural Islam Rana 9.3-4-9-4.

BANGLADESH:

Shahriar Hossain lbw b Collins 0

Manjural Islam c Wilkinson b Collins 5

Habibul Bashar b Washington 47

Rajin Saleh c Richards b W. Hinds 1

M. Ashraful c Wilkinson b R. Hinds 13

Alok Kapali c Wilkinson b Lawson 3

Mushfiqur Rahman not out 25

Khaled Mashud c Ramdin b Washington 17

Khaled Mahmud not out 2

EXTRAS (B-1, LB-4, W-9, NB-9) 23

TOTAL (for seven wkts, 41 overs) 136

FALL OF WKTS: 1-3, 2-45, 3-56, 4-68, 5-81, 6-82, 7-132.

DID NOT BAT: Mohammad Rafique, Tapash Baisya.

BOWLING: Collins 9-0-35-2; Lawson 8-1-23-1; W.W. Hinds 6-2-11-1; Washington 9-1-38-2; R.O. Hinds 9-1-24-1.

RESULT: Bangalesh won by three wickets.

UMPIRES: G.E. Greaves and L. Thomas. -Agencies